Can we talk? What's the WORST thing about being owned by sugar gliders? From the countless numbers of people we've spoken to over the years, I think most would agree that those sharp little nails can be a bit rough on human skin! How many of you have had the red spots and scratches to prove it? Are you ready to get rid of that problem? Once and for all?

At long last, and after many prototypes, we are pleased to present Nail-O-Matic™. Nail-O-Matic is a running track insert that files your glider's nails automatically as they run in a Wodent Wheel.

If you are having problems clipping nails or are just putting up with the scratches, you should get your suggies a SunCoast exclusive Nail-O-Matic nail filing track. Why suffer through the process of nail trimming or pay mega-bucks to your vet for trimming if you don't have to? The Nail-O-Matic is easy to use! Just slide it into your Wodent Wheel and watch your gliders have loads of fun as they Zoom 'N Groom their nails.

This Nail-O-Matic is custom designed to fit right into the Wodent Wheel Wobust, which includes a wall-to-wall plastic inner track that seats into the wheel covers and completely covers the axle. The shield eliminates the need to inspect the axle for the stickiness that can lead to tail-axle injuries, because the glider's tail cannot reach the axle of the wheel, see picture below.

This product has been independently tested by members of the glider community prior to release. As with all our unique products, Arnold insists that we test with other gliders before he will stamp any product with his seal of approval, and Nail-O-Matic passed with flying colors! Check out what the testers had to say to the left - they love their Nail-O-Matics!

Another lesser known problem of sugar glider nails getting too long is the injuries they can cause. Gliders can easily get hung up on many of the products sold for sugar gliders today. It is vitally important that you keep your gliders' nails well groomed not only for your own enjoyment, but for their own safety as well!

Would you like to keep your glider's nails well groomed without the emotional or physical pain for the gliders or us humans? Let's face it, most gliders don't like to have their nails trimmed and most humans don't like to trim glider nails. Trimming is a tricky proposition. If you go too short you risk hitting the quick and causing the glider to bleed. Also, too short nails can inhibit a glider's ability to hold on to your clothing or toys. And I don't know about you, but my over forty eyes have a hard time seeing those little nails to trim them just so.

For nearly two years now we have tried a plethora of devices and gadgets to perform this not-so-fun grooming task. We tried concrete and sandpaper perches like the ones used for birds. We tried mounting these perches vertically, like a fireman's pole to see if that would cause more traction and groom those pointy little nail tips down. We put favorite treats in strategic places on the "fireman's pole" to encourage lots of climbing, all with disappointing results. We even removed other branches and perches from the habitat thinking the gliders would be forced to climb the fireman's pole. But it just didn't happen that way.

Then Dr. C told us that climbing directly on something abrasive might hurt the tender little pads under the gliders' feet. So this created a brand new challenge. How do we keep the pads of the feet off of an abrasive surface, yet have the nails contact a mildly abrasive surface, AND get the gliders to use the device enough that it made a difference in nail pointy-ness? We would need to come up with something that the gliders love as much as they love the Wodent Wheel!

So why re-invent "the wheel"? (yuk yuk). The best exercise wheel for sugar gliders has already been done! So we talked to the people who make the Wodent Wheel about an accessory device intended to groom the nails as the gliders ran in the wheel. The result is the Nail-O-Matic track with paw-pad protection.

The Nail-O-Matic is designed with a smooth platform grid to protect little suggie pads from the abrasive surface underneath. A super fine grade abrasive material is used so that the nails are filed down slowly during use. If your suggies are like our Arnold, then we know some major mileage can be put on a Wodent Wheel in a single night!

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Nail-O-Matic is not intended to be a replacement for a regular Wodent Wheel track. The nail grooming surface should be used for NO MORE than TWO nights straight. Excessive use will cause the nails to become too short and will disable your sugar glider from normal climbing activity - if they are gliding to an object, they will not be able to grab on tightly and will fall to the floor risking injury. IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU USE THIS PRODUCT AS INTENDED. WE CAN GUARANTEE THAT MISUSE OR OVERUSE WILL BE DETRIMENTAL TO YOUR SUGAR GLIDER! Proper use as directed, however, will keep your glider well manicured safely and effectively.

Now, are you ready for the ultimate time saving idea? Most of us lead very busy lifestyles, and wouldn't you rather use your spare time playing with your sugar gliders instead fiddling with changing the track of your Wodent Wheel when your suggie nails need attention? Personally, we are using two wheels per cage, one "regular" and one with the Nail-O-Matic track. This saves pulling out the wheel, taking it apart, putting in the Nail-O-Matic track, putting the wheel back in the cage - and reversing that whole process after your sugar glider's "nails are done". Check this out:

We've found that using a large size rubber door stopper will act as an inexpensive "brake", so that you can stop one wheel from moving, encouraging the gliders to use the wheel that spins freely. Most of the time this brake is on the wheel with the Nail-O-Matic track in it. But when their nails get too long, we take the brake off of the Nail-O-Matic wheel and put it on the regular Wodent Wheel. The gliders then start to use the Nail-O-Matic wheel. After two nights, we simply move the brake back to the Nail-O-Matic wheel, preventing our suggies' nails from getting too short. You can use anything for a "brake" that is suggie safe as long as it can stop a wheel from spinning and can easily be moved back and forth between the "running" and the "trimming" wheel.

We know that others have contemplated and attempted glider nail products. The Nail-O-Matic device may look simple, but it took us nearly two years to figure out how to create something that was safe, effective, and affordable! Beware of cheap copies of this idea, especially the "glue and sand" approach. We thought of doing it this way, but running directly on sand can injure the paw pads of your pet! Think about it; if the sand really cuts the nails, doesn't it cut their pads?

Could you just buy sandpaper and put in it the wheel? Maybe, but how will you make sure your gliders do not injure their delicate little paw pads on the sandpaper?

All Nail-O-Matics will be sent out with a complete set of written installation instructions. You will also find detailed instructions here complete with pictures. Proper installation is important to proper functioning of this accessory and your gliders' safety.

The Nail-O-Matic provides a safe and practical way to file down glider nails. Do you trim your own glider nails or do you go to the vet's office or neighborhood pet shop? Most vet offices and pets shops charge somewhere in the neighborhood of $5 per nail for trimming! While this sounds inexpensive, some of our gliders need their nails trimmed every 2-3 weeks. Assuming you have two gliders and only go to have nails trimmed once per month, that's $120 per year! With those kind of numbers, the Nail-O-Matic will pay for itself after only one use!